Submerged drive line conveyer for floor trucks



Dec. 16, 1952 E. w. M CAUL ET AL 2,621,609

SUBMERGED DRIVE LINE CQNVEYER FOR FLOOR TRUCKS Filed Aug. 14, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS Edward W. MC C6111 Steven W. Jcsso ATTORNEK Patented Dec. 16, 1952 SUBMERGED DRIVE LINE CONVEYER FOR FLOOR TRUCKS Edward W. McCaul, Birmingham, and Steven W. Jessop, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Jervis B. Webb Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation 'of Michigan Application August 14, 1948, Serial No. 44,314

6 Claims. 1

This invention realtes to improvements in a drive line for propelling wheeled carriers or floor supported trucks equipped with a vertically movable drive pin along a supporting surface in a path defined by a guide slot formed in the supporting surface, or floor.

Objects of the present invention include the use of the conventional type of drive line, the use of conventional trolley assemblies for sup porting the chain and imparting drive to the floor trucks, the provision for automatic en agement of floor trucks-placed in the path of the drive line, the adaptation of convenient means for disengagement which will permit the floor trucks to be moved away from the drive line at will, the provision of a composite guide and drive track, as well as the incorporation of economical and dependable means for installation of the drive line track in the floor. I

. These and other objects will be apparent from the following detailed description of a particular embodiment of the invention, as well as an examination of the drawings forming a part hereof wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the drive line installed in a floor showing in fragmentary breakaway the trolley assembly and chain in driving position on the track, together with the mechanism for imparting drive between the trolley assembly and the floor truck.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that a rectangular trench I!) is provided in the conventional concrete fio'or II and that rectangular longitudinally spaced plates l2 seated within the trench ID are cut out in the center to form the framework for the various segments of the drive line track which includes a lower U-shaped channel member 13 forming an opening for the suspended drive chain, opposed channel members l4 forming the tracks for the trolley wheels, as

well as angle members l5 forming a guidetrack for the trolley driving dogs and driven floor truck pins. Auxiliary bracing members It are embedded in the concrete floor and welded to the frame-plates l2 and to the angle irons I5;

An endless flexible propelling member comprising a conventional rivetless or Keystone type of drive chain travels within the lower U-shaped four main wheels for traveling along the channel members [4 as well as with a pair of guide rollers 2| for hearing against the lower ends 22 of the channel members l4 during the rounding of curves in the drive line track. A pair of drive dogs 23 are pivotally mounted at 24 and normally held in their upright position extending within the guide track by the weighted tailpieces 25. It will be seen that a pin within the guide track moving relatively toward the center of the trolley assembly I! from either end thereof will cause either drive dog 23 to tip toward the center causing the pin to become entrapped between such dogs. The load carrying member of this system is a floor truck on which a retractable drive pin '26 is mounted within a tubular housing having a slot 29 which is engaged by a handle 28 connected to the pin 26 to define the lowered position of the pin. In the retracted position of the pin 26, the handle is moved upwardly out of the slot 29 and is rotated degrees to engage the groove 31 in the housing. The front wheels 32 of the floor truck are of the caster type to allow the truck to freely follow the path of the guide truck and to eliminate the necessity for accurate positioning of a truck for engagement with the drive line.

In the operation of the system when it is desired to engage a truck with the drive line the truck is wheeled to the guide track and its pin 26 lowered into the slot of the guide track. The truck may then be left to await pickup by the next driving trolley I! or pushed in the direction of drive line travel to overtake the next preceding driving trolley l 1. Either procedure will result in the pin 26 becoming automatically engaged between a pair of drive dogs 23.

When it is desired to stop the floor truck or to move the same away from the drive line, the handle 28 which'isconnected to the drive pin 26 is raised to its retracted position out of theslot 29 in the pin housing 30 and turned 90 degrees to engage the groove 3|. With the pin in this position its lower end is above the floor level and the truck may be freely moved as desired.

Since the guide track is flush with the floor level and all moving parts of the drive line are below floor level, there is no danger to an operator in placing a truck in position to be engaged by the drive lineor in disengaging a truck therefrom. The driving force is exerted below the load level of the truck. and therefore, there is very little tendency for the truck to be overturned at any time; This advantage is particularly'noticeable in'placinga truck in position to be picked up by a driving trolley and in actual practice it has been found that the truck can be placed with its longitudinal axis out of alignment with the path of drive line travel even to the extent. of being perpendicularthereto without danger of the truck being overturned when its pin is engaged by the drive dogs of the driving trolley. Ihe track construction of the invention, in addition to being characterized by the use of conventional conveyor parts such as have been thoroughly tested and proven through years of service in numerous overhead installations, offers certain other advantages peculiar to this floor type system. Both the drive pin and driving dogs extend within the guide track thus positively insuring that the dog will be in driving relationship with the pin at all times. Side movement of the drive trolleys is also positively prevented by the guide rollers 2 1..

Many prior installations of this subfloor type have encountered the problem of foreign matter entering through the guide track and clogging or otherwise impairing the operation of the drive line. The present design of composite track is self-cleaning since any'foreign matter falling into the guide track will either proceed directly to thet'bottom of the channel member 13 or willfbe brushed to that location by the trolley wheels should it become lodged on the drive line track.

The depending member l8 which secures each trolley assembly to the drive chain acts as a sweep to distribute any foreign matter uniformly throughout the track, and, if desired, cleaning apertures may be provided at spaced intervals in the lower surface of the channel member l3.

It will be seenfrom the above description that a driveline construction has been provided which satisfies each of the desired objects stated above.

However, itiwill be understood that modifications in the detailed construction are possible without departing'fro'm the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

.1. In a drive line of the type having a guide slot and a subsurface track employed for propellinga wheeled carrier equipped with a vertically movable drive pin along a supporting surface, propelling means including a plurality of trolleys each having wheels supported by said track, an endless flexible propelling member, means connecting said propelling member to each of said trolleys .in. reversible driving relationship therewith and for. vertical support thereby, and means c'arriediby at .leastcertain of said trolleys fordriving'ly engaging a carrier drive pin lowered within 'sai dgguideslot.

2. In a drive line of the type having a guide slot .anda subsurface track employed for propelling a wheeled carrier equipped with .a vertically movable drive pin along .a .supporting surface, propelling means including a plurality of trolleys eachliaving wheels supported by said track, an endless'flexible propelling member, means connecting-sa'id propelling member in substantially fixed verticaland horizontal relationship to each of .said trolleys, at least certain of said trolleys bein provided with a pair of oppositely arranged upwardly projecting one-way drive members adapted torecei-ve, trap and drivingly engage the drive pin of a carrier positioned with such drive reversible drivin relationship therewith and for vertical support thereby, and a pair of oppositely arranged one-way drive members carried by said trolley adapted to engage and trap a drive pin of a floo truck lowered within said guide slot on either direction of relative movement between said driving trolley and said wheeled carrier.

4. Propelling means for a drive line as set forth in claim 3 wherein said propelling member comprises a drive chain having side bars and center links and wherein said means connecting said propelling member to said trolley comprises a depending member carried by said trolley, said depending member engaging one of said center links.

5. In a drive line of the type having a guide slot and a subsurface track employed for moving a floor truck along a supporting surface and wherein such floor truck is equipped with swivelly mounted forward wheels and a drive pin carried on the forward portion of said truck intermediate said forward wheels and vertically movable into downwardly projecting engagement with said guide slot, propelling means including in combination a drive chain, a clearance area below said track for receivin said drive chain, a trolley assembly supported by said track, said assembly including a membe depending below said track, means connecting said chain to said depending member in reversible driving relationship therewith and for vertical support thereby, said trolley assembly further including a pair, of oppositely arranged pivotally mounted upwardly projecting drive dogs adapted to receive, trap and 'drivingly engage the drive pin of a floor truck-positioned with such drive pin projecting downwardly within said guide slot.

6. A drive line of the type wherein a driving member traveling along a subfloor track is employed to propel a floor truck along a path defined 'by a guide slot at floor level by engagement between said driving member and a drive pin carried by said floor truck and projecting downwardly within said guide slot; characterized by said drive line including an endless flexible propelling member, a wheeled trolley supported by said track, a clearance area formed beneath said track forreceiving said propelling membe means for connecting said propelling member to said trolley in reversibledriving relationship therewith 'and for vertical support thereby, said means including a member depending from said trolley into said clearance area and projecting below said propelling member.

EDWARD W. McCAUL. STEVEN W. J ESSOP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 512,066 Spitzer Jan. 2, 1894 783,070 Patterson Feb. 21, 1905 948,678 Bighouse Feb. 8, 1910 1,000,106 Morris Aug. 8, 1911 1,124,267 Bernheim 'Jan. 12, 1915 1,420,115 Lange et a1 as June 20, 1922 1,740,053 Wehr Dec. 17, 1929 1,810,418 Francis -June 16, 1931 1,920,774 Webb Aug. 1, 1933 2,101,353 Waalkes Dec. 7, 1937 2,116,430 Gordon May 3, 1938 2,485,215 Rose Oct. 18, 1949 

